The invention is directed to a reclining or seating member, consisting of a support frame and at least one partially flexibly or elastically yielding reclining or seating surface, wherein bands, straps, cables or the like are consecutively fastened at the side longitudinal support parts of the support frame transversely to the longitudinal direction of said support parts.
Reclining or seating members are known which appear to be of a very attractive shape consisting of the most differing materials and also appearing to be in part very adaptable during test use, which however over a long period of use exhibit considerable defects. Thus, for instance the flat soft surface of reclining members is indeed preordained to receive the body in any position and to provide in each position an comfortable feeling for falling asleep or resting. Ailments caused by deformed or displaced intervertebral disks, which exert pressure upon the nerve tissue are frequent causes for back complaints. They occur above all in older persons, where the disk tissue has lost the liquid content and thus the capacity to resist because of daily exposure to stress. The high pressures which stress the vertebral column are thus as a rule reduced only with great difficulty.
If one analyzes the reclining state of one's back in the case of conventional reclining elements at the body, then beginning with the feet one reaches the conclusion that the calf bone particularly stresses the calves so that the blood flow is interfered with. The thigh is always pressed together at the lower side by one's weight. Since these two muscle portions viewed anatomically are located lower than the concave of the knee, the hollow of the knee will rest in a relatively concave manner, which over a longer period again causes a stressing of the ligaments. The lumbar region is relatively well supported, wherein however precisely the lumbar region is the part of the human body which causes the least problems. A healthy vertebral column shows in side view as a slightly swung S, while it is shown in conventional reclining elements, that a support of the vertebral column more or less occurs depending on the weight in the lumbar region or in the shoulder region. Since the lung performs a sort of pumping function during the breathing process in the central region of the vertebral column (belly-chest region), the principal portion of the forces generated thereby inclusively of the mass portions is transmitted to the central vertebral disk portion. Since the reclining elements which have been used so far can be pressed through more or less easily at all points, the vertebral column is slightly pressed downwards at each pumping occurrence of the lung, until it finally forms a hump. The shoulder blade portion is practically a resting portion, however, it is pressed by one's proper weight upwards which proper weight rests on said shoulder blades since the shoulder blades stick out in a raised manner. This entails a tension of the shoulder blade. The vertebral portion of neck is not supported on the known reclining elements. The head lies in very few cases centrally to the rest of the body, so that there result distortions of the vertebrae of the neck.
Reposing in a side position on conventional reclining elements necessitates a sidewise bending of the vertebral column because of the pumping action of the lung. The armpit region or the shoulder blades distort themselves which leads to twisting of the vertebral column. No support for the neck vertebrae is available also in the sideways position. In a side position the head can be only brought into a relative plane with respect to the body by means of a pillow.
it is already known (U.S. Pat. No. 2,788,531) to attach consecutive straps, belts, cables or the like extending at the side longitudinal support portions of the carrying frame of a mattress transversely to the longitudinal direction of said mattress. In this known design all the straps are fabricated to be elastically yielding, however, it is possible that not all the straps extend equally. This is achieved by fabricating the straps in the attachment region of the longitudinal parts from an elastic material, while the strap segments arranged between the end portions are formed of a non-elastic material of different lengths. If no load is applied to the mattress all the straps are under tension in horizontal direction, wherein an elastic travel of different lengths is possible for individual straps when under load. Each strap remains extensible in an elastic fashion even when under load.